As reported by the Department of Health as of 2 January, the number of victims of stray bullets due to indiscriminate firing is Four (4). Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/01/01/16/firecracker-stray-bullet-injurie... (This is less one which was due to an accidental discharge). This number has gone down considerably from what it was in previous years and decades before wherein there were literally hundreds of victims of stray bullets on New Year's Eve. We credit this decrease to our pervasive and efficient PROGUN educational campaign against indiscriminate firing of guns on New Year's Eve, which had previously become a Filipino habit. A number of cases indiscriminate firing were also due to the police, military, and security guards, who irresponsibly fired their service guns on New Year's Eve.

While the number of victims is still not zero as it should be, still the number of very low considering that there are nearly two million licensed gun owners in the Philippines. Thus, this is a big victory for Philippine licensed gun owners who should be congratulated for their responsiblity and restraint during the New Year's Eve revelry.

New Year's Eve is once again coming up and PROGUN wishes to greet all responsible gun owners a happy New Year! We are also appealing to all gunowners not to fire your guns on New Year's Eve. Our track record of responsible gun ownership and education over the past decade had drastically REDUCED deaths and injuries from stray bullets from hundreds in the 80's and 90's to less than 15 injuries and less than 5 deaths these past 2 years. Nevertheless one injury or death is one too many; let us aim for ZERO injuries from stray bullets. A bullet when fired upwards in the air goes down and lands with the same velocity and power as when it left the barrel of the gun. So, a seemingly harmless act of firing a gun in the air can unknowingly cause the death of an innocent child 1 km away. Wag po tayo pasaway; umiwas po tayo ng makasakit o makapatay ng kapwa na hindi sinasadya; let's be responsible.So please, let us keep up the good work and continue to contribute to a SAFE, HAPPY, AND INJURY-FREE NEW YEAR'S EVE.Happy New Year to all!

Yesterday an article appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer stating that actor Robin Padilla surrendered and turned over his licensed firearms to the Philippine National Police because he was allegedly disqualified under the new law RA 10591 from possessing firearms due to his 1993 conviction for illegal possession of firearms: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/737567/robin-padilla-surrenders-guns-asks-pnp-to-take-care-of-his-girlfriends. Robin Padilla was previously convicted and sentenced in 1993 to 17 years of imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms under the old law PD 1866 back then. THereafter a few years later a sympathetic congress full of actors led by Sen. Ramon Revilla passed an amendment to PD 1866, which was then RA 8294, which lowered the penalty for illegal possession of firearms to below 6 years imprisonment, thus qualifiying Padilla for early release on probation. Now, with the passage of RA 10591 in 2013, Sec. 4 par. (g) of said law disqualifies applicants of firearms License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOP) who are currently charged or were convicted of crimes where the law prescribes a penalty of more than two years imprisonment. Consequently, Padilla, who like all other current licensed gun owners had to re-apply for an LTOP and pursuant to sec. 4 par. (g) of the new law, was disqualified from possessing his licensed firearms. Hence, Padilla surrendered his firearms to the philippine national police.

Planting of bullets in unsuspecting and innocent travellers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by corrupt airport personnel, and extorting money from the travellers in exchange for letting them board their plane, is a current ongoing major scandal in the Philippines. The modus operandi is to plant a single bullet in the luggage (the outer puch being favored) and supposedly seaching and detaining the unsuspecting passenger. The amounts extorted range from P5000 to P50,000 to several thousands of dollars. The victims have been Filipinos as well as foreigners, whether overseas workers, tourists, professionals, ordinary housewives, elderly senior citizens, and young lady travellers. The United Nations itself has just issued a travel advisory and warning to its staff regarding this bullet planting syndicate at NAIA airport.

To use bullets as a means of falsely incriminating innocent passengers is also an insult to all responsible gun owners of the Philippines who obey the laws.

Two members of the House of Representatives are seeking a probe of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) officials for failing to curb the alleged “tanim bala” (planting-a-bullet) scam, which victimizes airline passengers.

In the supposed scam, airport passengers are detained after a bullet is found in their luggage, and then asked to fork over money in exchange for the dropping of charges against them.

A party-list group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is also urging President Benigno Aquino III to fire MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado for allowing the scam to persist under his watch.

A leading firearms dealer stated last week that "Gun owners who have failed to get an LTOP (license to own and possess firearms) are simply lazy."

Really? Well, maybe that scion of a famous gun selling family should examine the reality first to cure his ignorance. Out of 1.7 Million licensed firearms in the Philippines less than 20,000 have applied for and even less have obtained their LTOP. The truth being that Firearms owners have not been able to comply with the new LTOP requirement because of the difficulty in obatining the requirements (for which substantial clearances and payments in addition to the actual license fee have to be paid by the applicant), the ineptness, incomptence, and corruption of PNP Regional Offices in processing and forwarding firearms license applications, and the continued centralization of the firearms license applications in Camp Crame Quezon City (in defiance of a Temporary Restraining order issued by the Supreme Court last year), which makes it impossible for firearms owners from the different regions to apply for an LTOP.

There is also the issue of Consitutionality of the LTOP. PROGUN has filed and has pending a petition in the SUpreme Court questioning the LTOP for being ex post facto since it applies RETROACTIVELY, and imposes a criminal offense to existing licensed gun owners who fail to comply. This issue is still being litigated in the Supreme Court.

THE Office of the Ombudsman sacked resigned police chief Alan Purisima for his alleged involvement in a P100-million shady deal with a private courier service company.

In a 50-page decision cited in a statement on Tuesday, the Ombudsman dismissed Purisima from service following its investigation over the allegedly anomalous contract with WerFast Documentary Agency, Inc.

Also dismissed from service is Police Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, a former official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) and now Central Luzon police director. Petrasanta is being eyed as the next PNP chief and was even endorsed to the President by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

MANILA, Philippines – Roughly 2 months after his appointment to the office responsible for issuing licenses for firearms, Senior Superintendent Dennis Siervo has been relieved from his post.

The relief orders were issued Thursday, May 7, Rappler learned from sources privy to the movement.

Siervo, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985, was formally appointed to the post of Firearms and Explosive Office (FEO) officer-in-charge in late March, replacing Chief Superintendent Moro Lazo, who was appointed director of the PNP Special Action Force.

Last 6 April 2015, the Philippine National Police (PNP), led by its Civil Service Group held a public discussion forum at the PNP general headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City. The forum led by PNP-CSG Commander Gen. Melito Mabilin and Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) Col. Dennis Siervo, was for the "streamlining" of the licensing process for firearms. As stated in the forum, the "marching orders" given to the CSG and FEO were to "make life easier for licensed firearms owners". WIth this in mind, the streamling process for obtaining a License to Own and Possess Firearms or LTOP has been made easier as follows:

1. Court and Prosecutor's clearance shall no longer be required. Instead, the spplicant shall obtain an NBI Clearance. This is because the NBI record is nationwide and more encompassing than the court clearance which is just for a specific city or municipality where the applicant lives.

2. Drug and Neuro Psych testing shall be expanded to include more government and private testing centers (not just PNP accredited)

3. Number of copies of Forms shall be only two: one for the PNP and one for the applicant.

4. The time to process the LTOP from filing to approval shall take only 40 minutes. This is due to the computer system that forwards the application from initial evaluation directly to the Chief for approval and signature electronically.

5. Firearms safety seminar shall be expanded to include not just gun clubs but also individual qualified firearms instructors who may administer the seminar.